Construction Manager at Risk Selected for New Red Bluff Courthouse

SAN FRANCISCO—The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has announced the selection of the firm Rudolph and Sletten as the construction manager at risk (CMAR) for the new Red Bluff courthouse. The CMAR method entails a commitment to deliver the project within a guaranteed maximum price. Rudolph and Sletten submitted the winning proposal to provide preconstruction services, planning, and construction management services, which will include solicitation of bids from subcontractors.

In business for more than 50 years, Rudolph and Sletten has completed many California public works projects. The company has won numerous awards and was named the Sacramento region’s 2010 General Contractor of the Year by the American Subcontractors Association, Capital City Chapter. The firm is currently working with the AOC on construction of the San Bernardino Courthouse, one of the largest such projects statewide.

The AOC uses a CMAR for delivery of major capital-outlay projects such as the new Red Bluff courthouse. The competitive selection process factors in qualitative criteria, such as the firm’s experience, as well as the contractor’s fee. The CMAR is retained early in the project for preconstruction services. Following a competitive bid for all subcontracts and the approval to award, the CMAR becomes the general contractor for the project. Selection criteria for the project CMAR included an evaluation of the firm’s plan for outreach to local subcontractors, ensuring that qualified local firms are fully aware of the bidding opportunity, process, and timeline. All qualified subcontractors, lower-tier subcontractors, and suppliers will be considered. For this competitive selection, the AOC received 11 submissions and conducted interviews of the five most qualified firms, from which Rudolph and Sletten was selected.

Designated a cost-reduction demonstration project by the Judicial Council at its April 2012 meeting, the new Red Bluff courthouse will use low-cost construction methodologies to reduce costs. The project is just starting architectural design with the Sacramento-based firm of LPAS.

The five-courtroom facility will be located on approximately 4.4 acres between Walnut Street and Hook Road in Red Bluff. The new courthouse replaces all court facilities in Tehama County except the Juvenile Justice Center. The 62,000-square-foot building includes significant improvements in security—such as separate hallways for the public, court staff, and in-custody defendants—as well as improved fire safety and better access and efficiency for staff and visitors. Construction is currently scheduled to begin in mid-2014. Completion of the new courthouse is currently scheduled for early 2016.

The new courthouse project was ranked as an “Immediate Need” in the judicial branch’s capital-outlay plan, making it among the branch’s highest-priority infrastructure projects. It is funded by Senate Bill 1407, enacted in 2008 to provide up to $5 billion in funding for new and renovated courthouses using court fees, penalties, and assessments rather than taxpayer revenues from the state’s General Fund. The state Budget Act for fiscal year 2011–2012 contained significant cuts to the account that funds SB 1407 projects. These cuts delayed certain projects and resulted in project budget reductions. Until the state Legislature resolves the budget for the coming fiscal year, any future impact on funding of the next phase of this project is unknown.